A First-Year Research Experience: The Freshman Project in Physics at Loyola University Chicago

Undergraduate research has become an essential mode of engaging and retaining students in physics. At Loyola University Chicago, first-year physics students have been participating in the Freshman Projects program for over twenty years, which has coincided with a period of significant growth for our department. In this paper, we describe how the Freshman Projects program has played an important role in advancing undergraduate research at Loyola, and the profound impact it has made on our program. We conclude with suggestions for adoption of similar programs at other institutions.